José Escalante returns to Houston Dynamo on loan from CD Olimpia

Honduran midfielder José Escalante will rejoin the Houston Dynamo for the 2017 season on a 12-month loan from Honduran club Olimpia, the Dynamo announced today.

Escalante, 21, originally joined the Dynamo organization in March 2016 on loan from Olimpia to Rio Grande Valley FC, Houston’s hybrid affiliate that competes in the USL. A naturally left-footed winger, Escalante was loaned from RGV FC to the Dynamo first team on August 3, 2016 for the remainder of the year.

“We are very pleased to welcome back José Escalante to the Houston Dynamo. During his time with our club last season he demonstrated his potential and ability to grow within our system,” said Dynamo Vice President and General Manager Matt Jordan. “At just 21 years old he has adapted well to our club and city and we look forward to him being a part of our team moving forward.”

After joining the Dynamo first team, Escalante saw action in three games with one start, which came on October 12 at Seattle, and logged 109 minutes. A left-footed winger, he was the first player to move from Rio Grande Valley FC to the Dynamo on a full MLS contract. He scored three goals and added two assists in 14 appearances for the Toros, who finished in second place in the Western Conference in their inaugural season.

“José had a great year with RGV and because of his performance in the Valley he was able to push for a spot on the first team. He had the opportunity to play and made his debut with the Dynamo, and the fact that we were able to bring him back, he will enter the preseason stronger, more confident and ready to win his spot with the club in 2017,” said Dynamo Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera. “It is important for the club to have a young player with a good background and mentality like José and we are excited to see what he can do at the beginning of the season.”

A native of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Escalante was captain of Los Catrachos at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup and played for the Honduras U-17 national team. He made his Olimpia debut in 2012 and made 20 first team appearances for Los Leones. He is the fourth alumnus of CD Olimpia on the Dynamo roster, joining midfielder Boniek García and recently-signed forwards Alberth Elis and Romell Quioto.

With the addition of Escalante, the Houston Dynamo now have 22 players on the roster for 2017. He is the seventh player to join the Dynamo roster since the conclusion of the season, following Elis and Quioto, midfielder Juan David Cabezas and defenders A.J. DeLaGarza, Adolfo Machado and Dylan Remick.

Escalante is the eighth International player on the Dynamo roster, joining Elis and Quioto as well as defender Agus, Cabezas, Machado, forward Mauro Manotas and forward Erick Torres.